GT Columns

I think that it's ridiculous that people are protesting it and that it's a racist and stereotyping kind of a thing. Just because certain factions of the Islamic state committed violent acts against Americans it doesn't condemn all the people that are American citizens and have a right to practice their faith. Forgiveness is much more powerful than holding resentment and it would help everybody.Alethea HasbrouckSanta Cruz | PhD Student

(Note: Writing humorous essays involving hurricanes during hurricane season is insensitive, reckless and ill-advised. The author recognizes this. She is currently planning a series of pieces on drunk Santas, so clearly has no perception of social boundaries. She feels awful about this.)

September is underway, another school year has begun, and I, along with legions of my writing peers, had planned an annual ritual dripping with nostalgia: a poignant, amusing column on the back-to-school miracle affecting anyone past the age of … back-to-school, waxing poetic about sharpened pencils and fresh lined paper. I had even undertaken a project to empathize with my kids’ hours of mind-numbing boredom during less than interesting academic subjects. (FYI, I intended to study a topic about which I have absolutely no curiosity whatsoever, find chillingly dull, and causes my eyeballs to melt from lack of interest: What to Expect When I’m Expecting. This took much consideration. My list also included Other People’s Drug Trips and Hedge Funds. Also note— it’s very difficult to think of things about which one doesn’t give a hoot. It’s elementally counterintuitive.)

Autumn arrived in the northern hemisphere as Sun entered Libra, sign of balance, equilibrium, Right Relations, justice and harmony. As the dark half of the year begins, we look forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkins, festivals of Light (Diwali, winter solstice, Christmas) and another Mercury retro, (Dec. 10-29 in Capricorn—difficult). But we’re at the beginning of Autumn now with harvest festivals, images of Persephone entering the underworld, Pluto as bad guy and Demeter, (Ceres) in search of her daughter, held in such grief at her loss that all the trees drop their leaves. Sorrow has taken hold of the plant kingdom. We know this story to be ancient, the tale told to early humanity by Teachers of the race to explain the growing darkness of autumn and approaching winter. Two festivals this Thursday: Jewish Sukkoth (huts, temporary dwellings, remembering 40 years wandering in the desert) and Libra solar festival, Aries full moon, 0 degrees. Saturn (restructure, discipline, intelligence, the Dweller) joins the Sun. The Soul in Libra says, “I choose the way which leads between two great lines of force.” We learned discrimination in Virgo. Now in Libra choices must be made. Will we choose this (new) or that (previous) reality? For clarity, we align with the Will-to-Good, the Will of God creating Goodwill. Our judgment is tested. We choose to cultivate Goodwill. We eat pomegranates. The persimmons ripen.

Last weekend, I attended the annual benefit for Life Lab’s Science Program and was impressed with everything that actually goes on at The Farm at UC Santa Cruz. Now celebrating 31 years, this lush garden is really an Eden for the community. Many things stand out, but you can’t help but be impressed with what Life Lab does for youth in this county. There’s something about working in the Earth, with the Earth and for the Earth that feeds the soul, and I suspect that the kids who’ve experienced some part of this program have gone on to appreciate life, people, living in a new way. Catch my on-the-scene interviews at GTv on our website, goodtimessantacruz.com. In the meantime, kudos to chef Jon Dickinson and his mighty crew for serving up some of the freshest, most delicious foods I’ve tasted all year. Dickinson, who impresses at Cafe Cruz, donates all of his time for the event.

Recently I moved again. This morning I tacked up a map and grabbed some push-pins and determined that this will be the 19th place I’ve lived in Santa Cruz County. Even serial killers don’t inspire maps with that many pins. And now with all those holes in my wall, I’ve probably violated my lease.

Not that I’m a bad tenant. I pay on time and I’m considerate and I can fix stuff and I only bark when fire engines go by. But when I meet potential landlords with whom I want to make a good impression, I feel the same kind of nervousness I get on first dates or job interviews. I struggle to think of just the right thing to say.

“No pets? Do bedbugs count?”

See now, right there, that’s a good example. In these situations, in what my therapist hand puppet says is an attempt to defuse discomfort with humor, I channel my inner sitcom writer and think up loads of sort of funny but inappropriate comments that I struggle not to say.

Jupiter joins Uranus in Pisces, Saturday. These are the two major planets influencing the unfolding Aquarian Age. Jupiter is Love/Wisdom and Uranus revolution and new archetypes, foundations for the new culture and civilization and emerging through the collaboration of humanity (the world disciple) and the New Group of World Servers. Humanity, unknown to itself, is the World Disciple. Within humanity are men and women of Goodwill and the New Group of World Servers. Most of us do not yet realize that we belong to one of these groups. Identification is by aspiration and intention.

The Aquarian Age, through Jupiter & Uranus, is creating within humanity (moon, the masses) groups of aspirants seeking to understand present needs and thus serve all of Earth kingdoms (permaculture), create peace on earth, build intentional communities (like Findhorn) and cooperatives (like Mondragan in Spain), build everything that self sufficient and sustainable. This is the new culture & civilization.

Plus Letters to Good TimesControversy ... Or Not?Rearranging RapeLabor Day is over, but for some reason I have this wild urge to go on maternity leave. Do you realize how much one can give birth to in a year’s time? I actually meant to write that as “how much I give birth to” but I didn’t. But actually, I just did, so here we are. Do we realize how much we create during the course of a year’s time—really? It’s something that has been on my mind recently as we move through our ever-hectic lives. And I happily reflected on that idea with greater detail as I read this week’s cover story on a curious local dubbed Master Umi. Some of you may know of Umi, especially if you caught the film Pirate Radio. Umi, an enlightened master who lives right here in the Santa Cruz Mountains, once went by the name Tom Lodge, the renegade DJ who, decades ago, caused a stir, mostly from the British government who weren’t too pleased with the man’s broadcasts on Radio Caroline, among other things. What’s interesting to note is the evolution of this unique soul—he’s now a Zen master and has just released a book called “The Shipped That Rocked the World.” GT writer Damon Orion captures Master Umi’s tale. Read on and learn more about how Umi’s past events led him to explore the fascinating nature of Zen.

We are in the last days of Mercury’s retrograde in Virgo. It’s been quite an interesting retrograde. The Iraq war came to an end; miners were trapped in an underground cave; under the brooding and watchful eyes of President Obama (Virgo Mars/Pluto), the major Mid-East leaders were called to the White House to re-ignite the peace process. We know the formula for peace esoterically—Intentions for Goodwill create Right Relations create the process of Peace. There is no other way. Mercury stations direct 4:09 p.m. (PST), Sunday, Sept. 12, moving slowly out of its retrograde shadow by Tuesday. Sept. 28. We move slowly forward also. The Jewish High Holy Days (10 days) begin this Thursday with Rosh Hashanah. On this day of rest, God judges us for the coming year. We gather with family, recite penitential prayers next to natural flowing water asking for forgiveness, we listen for the shofar (blowing of the ram’s horn trumpet), eat sweet- tasting foods, apples and honey, so the new year is sweet, and wish each other L’Shana Tova, May you have a good year.” It is important to understand all religious festivals. They form the foundation of the new world religion.

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Best of Santa Cruz 2015

In 40 years of publishing, Good Times has seen a lot of “bests.”

Spring Triangle: Three Spring Festivals—Aries, Taurus, Gemini

The Spring signs Aries, Taurus and Gemini constitute a triangle of force that sets the template for the nine signs that follow and the template for the entire year (Spring 2015 - Spring 2016) ahead.
Aries initiates new ideas, Taurus stabilizes the new thinking of Aries and Gemini takes the initiating stabilized ideas of Aries/Taurus and disperses them to all of humanity. It is in this way that humanity learns new things, with the help of Mercury, the messenger.
As Spring unfolds, three elements emerge: the Fire of Aries (initiating new ideas), the Earth of Taurus (anchoring the ideas of God through Mercury) and the Air of communicating Gemini. These three signs/elements are the Three Spring Festivals. They are the “triangle of force” forming the template (patterns) of energy for the upcoming new year. After these three we then have the soothing, calming, warming, nurturing and tending waters of the mother (Cancer). Cancer initiates our next season under the hot suns of summer. Planets, stars and signs create the Temple of Light directing humanity towards all things new.
March 29 is Palm Sunday, when the Christ, World Teacher, was led into Jerusalem (City of Peace) on a donkey (humility). Palms waving above His head, signified recognition of the Christ’s divinity. Palm Sunday is the Sunday before the Easter (Resurrection Festival). Palm Sunday begins Holy Week, the week of capture, imprisonment, passion, sacrifice, crucifixion, death and resurrection of the christ. All events in the Christ’s life represent events (initiations) that humanity experiences through many lifetimes. We turn our attention to these holy events this week. Their concepts portray and reveal to us greater spiritual understanding. Then, Aries, the “light of life itself” shines through us.

The New Tech Nexus

Community leaders in science and technology unite to form web-based networking program

Spring Spirits

What’s your favorite most recent outdoor discovery in Santa Cruz?

A hike that’s across from Waddell Beach. I didn’t realize you could go across the highway and do a super simple loop, and it’s beautiful. You can see the coastline.
Liz Porter, Santa Cruz, Community Outreach